So, once we had sorted out the confusion over the reason for the surprise party (at least in everyone’s mind except Baby Sister’s - she persisted in thinking it was The Daddy’s birthday and kept yelling “Happy Birthday Daddy”) , there was more celebrating to be done.

First, a homemade pinata, decorated by Baby Sister and bashed very energetically with a broom. 

Then , inexplicably, story time. Maybe because The T-Bot had a new book from the school library and wanted to share it.

For dinner we had pizza, of course, because who cooks on their Third Anniversary of arriving in The States? With Champagne, cake and coffee. Decorations on the cake are courtesy of the T-Bot… 

And now, a couple more gratuitous patriotic photos, just because I think they are cute: 

Much fun was had by all. Thank you, good night. 

So as I was sitting in the car line with Baby Sister and The Wictor today, waiting to pick up the T-Bot from school,  I decided, totally out of boredom, to check my diary. Which is how I noticed that today was our 3rd anniversary! 

No, obviously not our wedding anniversary… OK, no obviously about it, but not our wedding anniversary. 

(BTW, Checking my diary is usually how I remember anniversaries, and this is why I didn’t actually notice until 3.45pm…). 

Today was our 3rd Anniversary of arriving in the States. 

We made a family decision that this was Cause for Celebration, and once the T-Bot had been delivered to the car, we made an urgent run to the supermarket for cake and champagne. Cake was easy - ice cream cake always wins the day - but then we had to wait 10 minutes for the Man with the Key, because at said supermarket they keep the champagne in a locked cabinet and the Manager of the Wine Section somewhere at the other end of the store. Maybe he does double duty as Diaper Manager or something but certainly he is never around when you need him.

End result,  we didn’t escape from there until almost 4.15. 

“Quick” I said to the kids, “Daddy will be home soon, we only have 30 minutes”. So we rushed home and started our preparations for “Daddy’s Surprise Party”. Because somehow it became about The Daddy and all the cool things we could do to surprise him. 

Unfortunately we didn’t have 30 minutes because he arrived home today at 4.30. As he zoomed up the drive, this is what we were busy doing: 

All was not lost, we had already managed a banner - a team effort which involved all four of us in a frenzy of lettering and coloring: 

And really, plenty of balloons to keep everyone occupied and amused: 

The Daddy’s first ” surprised” reaction as he walked in the door was a little tragic: 

So I asked him to try again like he really meant it. Five minutes and many photos later, after posing for posterity with a “surprised” look and a bunch of red white and blue balloons… 

…and a couple of american flags, 

He said to me, seriously he said: “So what is it, fourteen years?” 

Did I mention already that this was not our Wedding Anniversary?